Benthedemon007
New member
Which do you prefer? I like toggles.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
- Thread starter Benthedemon007
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Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
I'll never forget reading in some guitar magazine a number of years ago, an interview with Mick Mars in which he was quoted, "I have a few rocker switch Marshalls, and they stink."
What is it about that rocker switch?
I'll never forget reading in some guitar magazine a number of years ago, an interview with Mick Mars in which he was quoted, "I have a few rocker switch Marshalls, and they stink."
What is it about that rocker switch?
Silence Kid
New member
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
Toggle switches have poor affordance in their design; they create an uncertain number of action possibilities.
Switch below; which way do you flick it? Left? Right? North? South? 360 degs? What makes the below design distinct from a two position toggle, if it's in a position other than the middle? Other cues are needed, which can lead to redundancy and clutter.
Granted, there are "better" toggles than the one below (from the perspective of design) and once you've "learned" toggles it won't cause a huge amount of trouble to play around with it and figure out how it moves, but the fact that this design persists (though not in consumer goods so much) still puzzles me to a degree.
Toggle switches have poor affordance in their design; they create an uncertain number of action possibilities.
Switch below; which way do you flick it? Left? Right? North? South? 360 degs? What makes the below design distinct from a two position toggle, if it's in a position other than the middle? Other cues are needed, which can lead to redundancy and clutter.
Granted, there are "better" toggles than the one below (from the perspective of design) and once you've "learned" toggles it won't cause a huge amount of trouble to play around with it and figure out how it moves, but the fact that this design persists (though not in consumer goods so much) still puzzles me to a degree.
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Silence Kid
New member
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
Little black switches become useful when you must select between three options; the switch can (and must) be made small enough to fit in three places along its slot, so there's visual indication that the switch can be in more than just two places. At beyond three options I'll stop generalizing and say it's application specific, probably means sliders, knobs or buttons are necessary and the mindset of the user is something more akin to switching modes/tiers. Too many of those, and you start to wonder if the product itself has an issue.
Depends on the application. For amps; on/off, standby, channel switching, bright switches etc., I think light switch style rockers work; I have an old Fender amp with flattish bright switch rockers and I prefer that to either toggles or little black switches; the flat space on the rocker and its shallowness conforms to the surface of the object, and doesn't imply any sort of middle position or analog operation. Provided they're well engineered and operate smoothly, they make the interaction required more "obvious" on than toggles while still providing a visual indication of on/off. One thing both switches and toggles have in common is that they provide a sense that the action taking place will be immediate; an "either/or" rather than a selection of buttons.
Little black switches become useful when you must select between three options; the switch can (and must) be made small enough to fit in three places along its slot, so there's visual indication that the switch can be in more than just two places. At beyond three options I'll stop generalizing and say it's application specific, probably means sliders, knobs or buttons are necessary and the mindset of the user is something more akin to switching modes/tiers. Too many of those, and you start to wonder if the product itself has an issue.
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
Oddly enough, the one failed power switch I've ever had on an amp was the toggle on my Mesa Rocket 44.
Oddly enough, the one failed power switch I've ever had on an amp was the toggle on my Mesa Rocket 44.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
Even though most of my amps have toggles, there's something I love about Marshall rocker switches that feel good to the touch and say "show time." It has to be something subconscious stemming from playing my early gigs with Jubilees and JCM 800's.
Even though most of my amps have toggles, there's something I love about Marshall rocker switches that feel good to the touch and say "show time." It has to be something subconscious stemming from playing my early gigs with Jubilees and JCM 800's.
DinoTrousers
New member
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
My amps have toggle switches, but I know that's only because we as guitar players think everything that is old is better. Rocker switches can be just as or more reliable than toggle switches, and they make more sense. But you know what I really don't like? Push button amps i.e. Marshall MG Series and a lot of affordable Vox stuff.
My amps have toggle switches, but I know that's only because we as guitar players think everything that is old is better. Rocker switches can be just as or more reliable than toggle switches, and they make more sense. But you know what I really don't like? Push button amps i.e. Marshall MG Series and a lot of affordable Vox stuff.
Silence Kid
New member
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
The worst button implementations occur on cheap starter pack models. It's unfair to new players who get say, a Frontman and:
1.) Don't realize the button is there, get stuck in crap solid state "drive" mode without realizing it, also wondering why half their knobs have no effect
2.) Have a hell of a time figuring out why the button deactivates some knobs/combinations etc. in the first place, because it's not obvious by the button's placement that it should do that (also, it doesn't make sense for those amps to only have EQ on the drive channel to begin with.)
My dad is near seventy years old, just took up electric guitar, and was bewildered by the above. I agree; why hand beginners that to deal with? Buttons are fine for switching presets on a modeling amp etc.
The worst button implementations occur on cheap starter pack models. It's unfair to new players who get say, a Frontman and:
1.) Don't realize the button is there, get stuck in crap solid state "drive" mode without realizing it, also wondering why half their knobs have no effect
2.) Have a hell of a time figuring out why the button deactivates some knobs/combinations etc. in the first place, because it's not obvious by the button's placement that it should do that (also, it doesn't make sense for those amps to only have EQ on the drive channel to begin with.)
My dad is near seventy years old, just took up electric guitar, and was bewildered by the above. I agree; why hand beginners that to deal with? Buttons are fine for switching presets on a modeling amp etc.
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
The interesting thing about this is that is only in the world of guitars that control positions aren't labeled. (With the exception of LP toggles.) I've always thought that to be odd.
The interesting thing about this is that is only in the world of guitars that control positions aren't labeled. (With the exception of LP toggles.) I've always thought that to be odd.
Benthedemon007
New member
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
I think the opposite; I have that satisfying feeling when I flick toggles.
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I think the opposite; I have that satisfying feeling when I flick toggles.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Archer_of_Fish
New member
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
While I do rock rather hard I also toggle terrifically so have no preference
While I do rock rather hard I also toggle terrifically so have no preference
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
Ya.. I don't care either.
Ya.. I don't care either.
JeffB
Let it B
Re: Rocker switch vs toggle switch?
Me too. I loved my old 1987 with toggles. Never cared for the rockers. The standby and on/off rocker on two of my first marshalls -JMP 2104 and 1x12 version of a 2205- both failed. The 800 was under warranty, but I was out of an amp for 2 weeks. Had to pay for the JMP. Don't recall the downtime on the JMP for some reason, It was 30 years ago.
More recently when I sold my orange and got my dsl, the rockers annoyed me because of my old experiemces. Going back to Orange and the toggles make me
Me too. I loved my old 1987 with toggles. Never cared for the rockers. The standby and on/off rocker on two of my first marshalls -JMP 2104 and 1x12 version of a 2205- both failed. The 800 was under warranty, but I was out of an amp for 2 weeks. Had to pay for the JMP. Don't recall the downtime on the JMP for some reason, It was 30 years ago.
More recently when I sold my orange and got my dsl, the rockers annoyed me because of my old experiemces. Going back to Orange and the toggles make me
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